Staying true to my 2012 health & beauty resolutions, I have embarked upon my first juice cleanse! After quite a bit of research, I have chosen to do the BluePrint Renovation Cleanse. It seemed to have the best overall feedback as far as having a pleasant taste (very key, if I’m going to be able to stick to the cleanse), limited comments about intestinal distress during the cleanse and they have a cleanse specifically targeted towards newbies, like me.
The Renovation Cleanse is BluePrint Cleanse’s entry-level cleanse and is described my them as being “…designed for the absolute beginner—the “I’ll have my martini with a side of steak, please” type—and for that we applaud you. Typically the renovating type is one who could stand to lose a few pounds, or perhaps a few more than a few. You like to indulge, sometimes in excess—a few extra drinks here, a few extra smokes there, but hey, who’s counting? Maybe you have a family history of health issues. Point is you’re a real person, who is about to feel real results.” While I tend to event pretty healthily and exercise regularly I didn’t want to scare myself away from future cleanses, by trying something that was too aggressive from in the beginning.
BluePrint Renovation Cleanse ready to go!
The Renovation Cleanse includes six juices for each day. Each labelled in number order of consumption.
#1 – Green Juice – romaine, celery, cucumber, apple, spinach, kale, parsley, and lemon
#2 – P.A.M. – pineapple, apple, and mint
#3 – Another Green Juice
#4 – Spicy Lemonade – water, lemon, agave nectar, cayenne
#5 – C.A.B. – apple, carrot, beet, lemon, ginger
#6 – Cashew Milk – water, cashew, agave nectar, vanilla bean, cinnamon
At the end of Day 1, I feel great. I actually feel really energetic. Not sure if it’s the high from doing my first cleanse, some sort of placebo effect or the fact that I did cheat a little. Well, not technically a cheat - I had to get up early this morning and I was starving. Unsure of when the package of juices would arrive, I had a bowl of raisin bran and a Kashi cereal bar. So the fact that I feel so well, could be the fact that my body is still running on the raisin bran and Kashi bar. The one downside is that I’m a bit gassy (sorry, family!).
The Green Juice was definitely an acquired taste for me. After the first few sips, I began wondering if I was going to be able to make it through the rest of the 16 oz. bottle. But, as I chugged along it grew on me. The taste is definitely not as pleasant as a typical fruit juice, but the apple and lemon in the juice definitely give it a sweet taste that make it palatable. By the second Green Juice I actually started to like it.
The P.A.M. juice is absolutely my favorite. It’s so good, I would have no trouble getting my 6 year-old daughter to drink it. It ‘s like a very good quality apple juice with hints of pineapple and mint.
I thought the Spicy Lemonade would bring back memories of my failed Master Cleanse attempt several years ago. It is lemonade, with a hint of spiciness. But, the fact that I didn’t have to make it myself made it go down much easier.
The C.A.B. juice tasted like a blended berry drink, but with strong hints of beets and ginger. Once again, I think the added apple and lemon do wonders with making the veggies in the juice much more palatable for those that are new to juice cleanses.
I didn’t have time to drink the Cashew Milk today. BluePrint Cleanse recommends that you stop juicing two hours before bedtime. I want to get plenty of rest in anticipation of what could be a low energy day tomorrow so I’m turning in by 10:00 pm. I’m planning to have the Cashew Milk for breakfast. From what I hear, it is like having a vanilla shake. Sweet dreams for me!
Stay tuned for my Day 2 post…
